Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-09-15
PATRIOTISM.
MONUMENTS THAT MEAN
SOMETHING AND THOSE
THAT DO NOT.
way the Memory Of Those Who Fought
Ts Preserve Their Country Should Be
Honored.
Honored.

Appreciation of loyalty and patriotism
is one of the earliest lessons to impress
upon the young men Of this country.
Too many people are becoming imbued
with the idea that loyalty and patriotism
cannot be mentioned without "waving
the bloody shirt" or raking over the
burned embers of the past to drag forth
sectional hate. This is a mistaken belief
which is doing much to lower the stand
ard of manhood in the United States and
lessen the citizens love for the land Of
freedom. Love of country is not neces-
sarily hatred of those who sought to de-
stroy the country, nor is it accompanied
by such hatred. Any intelligent man
can draw the line between treason and
the men who fought for treason, and,
while they despise the one, respect the
others.
No one has drawn the line clearer on
this subject than did Governor Foraker
in his speech at the unveiling Of the
Steedman monument at Toledo, in the
course Of which he said:
want to speak a word for the good of
al the living, and for the honor Of all
our patriot dead. And the word would
speak is one of congratulation and pro-
tound thankfulness for this occasion;
thankfulness that the long and almost
uninterrupted line of newspaper accounts
which we have been reading day after
day for the last three months, about the
unveiling and dedication of monuments
erected in honor of Confederate generals,
and Confederate statesmen, and Confed
crate everything else, has at last suffered
at least this much interruption and that
in consequence the American people will
be given an opportunity in to-morrow's
newspaper accounts of this days work to
read once more about the thrilling story
of loyalty and patriotism.
And would utter this word because I
am simple minded enough to come to the
conclusion that, while SO much is being
said and done in honor of the men who
undertook to destroy this governments
that they might perpetuate the curse and
crime of slavery, 1t is well enough, at
least now and then, to raise a stone and
lift voice in honor Of the men by whose
heroism and sacrifice their infamous ini-
guilty was prevented of its consumma-
ton. Though it may be all right to erect
monuments to the honor of men who
fought with courage and bravery for that
which they believed to be right, yet it is
better to erect monuments in honor of
men who not only fought with courage
and bravery for that which they believed
to be right, but for that which was in
fact right for men who not only had on
their side conscientious conviction Of
duty, but who had on their side truth and
justice and human liberty, the stars and
stripes, American nationality, and that
great cause for all mankind, free popular
government.
In this matter of erecting monuments,
let me call attention to the fact that
every country, every age, every civiliza-
tion, has produced whole generations of
men who believed they were right
whole generations who were willing to
gallantly fight and willing to die, if need
be, in behalf of q cause which they had a
conscientious conviction was just one.
But never before did the people of the
world think it appropriate to erect monu-
ments in their honor. II all such men had
monuments standing In their memory to-
day there would not be room left to live
oQ the earth. The reason monuments of
that kind have not been erected is simply
that they teach nothing of value to
The living and bear no message of
worth to posterity. Such monuments do
but cumber the ground, and the high
sounding phrases with which they are set
up are but the twaddle of sentimentality
that must die with the breath that ut
tered them.
But not so with this monument. 1t
stands there, and will in years to come,
not only to perpetuate to posterity the
form and features of James B. Steedman,
and to tell the thrilling story of his pa
triotism and soldiery deeds, but it also
stands there to forever proclaim that he
was identified with that great cause in
which by the blood of our patriotic dead
it was inscribed in the organic law of
this country that the constitution of the
United States was not made by the states,
but by the people, and that in conse-
quence the general government, as to all
the powers by that instrument delegated
to it, is supreme over states and people
alike. 1t stands there to proclaim the
death of that great heresy, secession, that
Gen. Steedman so hated and despised. 1t
stands there to proclaim civil and politi-
cal equality for all American citizens. 1t
stands there to attest the indissolution of
the American Union, and that the Amer
ican people are an American nation.
WoRKINGMEN Of the United States don't
want free trade policy carried into effect.
They don't want the cheap pauper labor
of Europe to be brought into direct COM
petition with them, thereby reducing
their wages and endangering their oppor-
tunity for employment. The fact that
the Democratic party in Ohio this year is
making fight for free trade, or, as some
of them call it, revenue reform, should
be to the working man notice that their
votes are not wanted by the Democrats.
The main object in securing Mr.. Powell
as the Democratic candidate for governor
is in the fact that he is free trader and
agreeing with President Cleveland in his
free trade views.
SOME Democrats liar sounded the
alarm that the Republicans were favor
able to the removal of the tax on whisky.
At this the whole party joined in the
chorus, and have shouted themselves
hoarse about it. Compose yourselves,
gentlemen, the good old Republican party
are not only in favor of taxing the manu-
factured article, but are also in favor of
taxing the fellow that offers it for sale
on every highway and by-way in the
state. Taxation and local option is the
watchword of the Republicans on this
vexed question.
1T must Se excruciatingly unpleasant
for Mr.. CicSeland to have his shadow
Stunned and held in loathing by persons
infinitely his superior in mind, body and
estate. The refusal of the Grand Army
posts to pass beneath his picture, when
suspended in their line of march, speaks
volumes. 1t is no studied effort on the
part of the G. A. r. to evoke criticism or
to do something sensational. 1t is the
spontaneous outburst of resentment to-